Our story

“Recently that distant dream of starting a coffee shop was written into the universe and at that very first word, began to take form into something more. Something breathing. Something alive. Something that had to be spoken in a deliberate way, in a course that made it real. It may seem silly, but we had to come to terms with the weight of the dream. We want this. I want this. A coffee shop is more than a distant dream. It's something that I have wanted since high school—something I never thought I could have. And, if I'm being completely honest, something I never thought I deserved.  

I can trace it back to ninth grade in Crossville, Tennessee, but maybe it started before then. Every Monday morning at 6:00 am, a group of girls from my church would meet together at Perks Coffee Shop and share our hearts as we sipped on white chocolate mochas, dirty chai teas, and hazelnut lattes. During these sacred Mondays, we would strengthen our relationships, discipline, and our faith. Led by our Women's Leader, Joanna, we would talk about an array of topics, but the center of our mornings was always the same question: "How did you see God this week?" Some saw Him during yesterday's worship, others during scripture reading, others after a merciful conversation or apology, and some of us saw Him in the ever-changing colors of the Tennessee sky. Our conversations would motivate us to seek Him out daily. I remember it as one of the first chapters in my walk when I experienced real community and saw real faith in that small group of young women.  

Perks became my spot. I remember sitting there with Joanna one day, talking my heart out (as I often did) about what I wanted with my life. I said I wanted to travel. I remember I was obsessed with non-profits and their causes. I so badly wanted to grow up to take a job at Toms Shoes or work for Invisible Children (Oh geez, I know!) But it would drive me crazy wanting to get out and travel and do things and meet people! I wanted to have a coffee shop in Portland-- like every other 16 year old theatre kid with multiple peace sign t-shirts, a journal full of dreams, and an ever growing collection of Simon and Garfunkel. I was hungry for more of life's adventures and desperate to do something amazing with my life.  

I wish I could go back in time and tell 16 year old, slightly naïve Courtney that some causes aren't all what they appear to be. Some adventures take time and others catch us off guard. I wish I could tell her that she's going to do all of these things and meet a goofy and charming bearded man who's going to help her do even more. I wish I could tell her that there are storms up ahead—very many storms, and to brace herself because they're coming up quick. I would tell her to keep her head high and feet planted. I would tell her to have the faith to jump when you're scared because God really does have a plan, and it really will work out. I would tell her that she's going to have that distant dream—that it's going to be a reality. 

And it's going to be amazing. 

So much has happened already just because of making the decision that yes, we are doing this. That distant dream has developed into a rough timeline and an even rougher sketch of a floorplan. That distant dream called up handymen to get plumbing and renovation estimates. It met with the bank and the economic developer of Martin. That distant dream met with the owner of the Looking Glass and soaked each word of one who had come before and made her own transition from dream to reality. That distant dream sat on the clever names of other coffee shops and tried each one, turning them over, and seeing how they fit until coming up with its very own name:  

Martin Coffeehouse

The community's coffeehouse. Their place to have their own 6:00 am meetings. Their place to meet with friends for a quick visit before passing through town. Their place to drink my coffee made with all of the love and hope that has been building up inside me since that first cup of coffee I had in Perks ten years ago. Their place to write out all of their distant dreams, and maybe (hopefully) their place to see God.”

— Courtney Sellers, Owner (written in response to naming the shop in 2017)

1907 - 1997

 We are so proud to own 407 South Lindell Street and to be a part of the history of Martin, Tennessee.

This is a list of businesses that occupied our current coffee and bakery after the fire of 1907 burned down all buildings but 1.

1911 to 1997

Cash Economy

Martin Hardware and Furniture

Benny Taylor Antiques

Jim & Gina Johnson's

Yesterday's Antiques

Country Cupboard

Mason Lodge

Hall Moody Business College

State Farm Insurance

Garland Merryman

Johnny Truck's

Cash & Carry

Wanda Vowell's

Apple Barrell

Live Oak Office

Fernweh Fox 2016 - 2022

Fox Weddings 2016 - 2022

Martin's - Coffee & Bakery 2017 - Current day

Good Morning Martin 2017 - 2022

Fiddle & Clay 2021 - Current day

Fox Booksellers 2021 - Current day

407

Foreword:

Our story is messy. At times it sounds like we walked into a building and everything worked out but that is not true. We didn’t know the cost of this life before we began and honestly if we did I am not confident we would have even started. We had no experience in coffee or running a bakery. The most exposure Courtney and I had was my 8 months at Dunkin Donuts, and Courtney working at YOLO in Jackson, Tennessee.

We were in the wedding industry and continued running our wedding business Fox Weddings, until we sold it a 2023. (Nepal, Costa Rica, hosting, Venue)

You must have an uncompromising belief in yourself and a healthy relationship with failure if you are going to follow your dreams. I do not give myself credit for that. I will admit I was born without doubt. Mostly delusion. I believe beyond logic that anyone can accomplish what they are meant to do if they simply do not give up.

I cannot deny that faith has played a part in our story. Both Courtney and I felt a calling not just to Martin but to this building itself but it is true. Under every decision and disaster there has always been one belief. We are right where we are supposed to be. That belief is what keeps us from giving up.

When your best barista leaves for another state and you have to rebuild the schedule, when a pipe bursts under your building and hits you with a repair bill you cannot afford, when rumors are spread by competition that threaten what you have built, and when you take on the buildings next to you and stretch far past what you thought you could handle, those are the moments that decide if you are building something real or if you are just playing business.

This story is the true cost of building a dream from nothing.

2016

When Courtney and I first stepped into 407 South Lindell Street back in 2016, it was an office furniture store with high ceilings, an elk head hanging on the wall, and a 20 foot long checkout desk from the old Martin Electric Company. We were newly married, had the rest of our lives figured out, and spent our time walking downtown enjoying the historic buildings and being inspired by what could happen to the unoccupied spaces. Little did we know that we would go on to own 4 of those historic buildings, almost lose everything, and build what has now become one of the top six must try coffee shops in Tennessee (TNVacation.com). All of this was set in motion by simply walking into 407 and talking with a joyful older man named Larry Sinder.

Out of all the buildings in downtown Martin, there was something special about 407 South Lindell Street. Part of the charm was no doubt that it was blue, one of the first two story buildings on Lindell Street, and it had an emblem from the Freemasons embedded in the top center of the building. Martin is a friendly place and it was not out of the ordinary for people to walk into a shop and spend time just talking about local news and not buy anything. Both Courtney and I grew to know Martin through the University of Tennessee at Martin, a city in itself that at the time nearly matched the population of the town. Martin embraced being a college town. Although there were not many businesses that most college towns would have, the people of Martin at least in my experience liked having college students wandering around and making conversation. So when we met Mr. Larry and started to share how much we enjoyed Martin, what we imagined the future of it being and how we wanted to be part of creating that future, we connected.

I think Mr. Larry saw our passion for the space and on the spot offered that some deal could be worked out of us renting and maybe renting to own the space. We could not believe it. Through randomly walking and simply making conversation a deal began to form and before we knew it we signed paper. Looking back I can not believe how willing we jumped. It just felt right. It did not even feel like jumping, it was what we were meant to do. I know that sounds strange and it is strange to write it now going through the COVID days, losing tens of thousands of dollars, struggling to figure out how to grow a team, build menus, learn how to order and all of it. But if you just look at the list of things that have to be done instead of focusing on the first thing to do (come up with a name), you will not get to experience growing into your dream. It is supposed to be uncomfortable, not irrational, and throwing caution to the wind to chase something maybe you have no business chasing, but I think we all know deep down what we are supposed to do if we open ourselves up to it and turn down all of the noise so we can listen.

When we moved in, they were kind enough to include six desks as part of the deal. It felt great, honestly—new desks, wide-open space, and a whiteboard full of our ideas for how we were going to grow a media business and take over West Tennessee.

The problem, though, was that the space was just too big for a media and production business. Right before we moved into 407, our whole operation had fit into a spare bedroom, and shortly after that, a slightly larger room in a small business incubator-type of building. By fate or foolishness, when our free rent term for the marketing agreement was up, we decided to take on a huge financial commitment. There was no way we weren’t going to be one of the largest media groups in Tennessee within the next five years, so tripling our commitment was nothing to be concerned with.

Being handed the keys, opening the door to what I thought was the rest of my life in production, and imagining shelving for camera gear and backdrops never felt quite right. I ignored that feeling, really, out of the overwhelming emotion of finally living the dream of working downtown in a building just like this. So much of media is intangible, and too much time in that world can pull you away from reality. I felt grounded walking through this space. How could you not? One hundred-year-old brick, restored high deep bluish green ceiling, windows that looked out on the center of downtown Martin, where twice a week a train would move through the middle of town. This was my small historic downtown dream, my story where I thought I would live out the rest of my days in production and design. What a life.

Little did I know that the feeling that something didn’t fit was also felt by Courtney, and she was comfortable enough to name what the space wanted to be—dare I say, what the space asked to be. I know, I know, it’s a little much for me too, but there’s a feeling I think we’ve all felt when you are right where you’re supposed to be, at the time you’re supposed to be there. There is a hum that comes from thousands of things all moving together in sequence, and for a moment you have clarity, removed from that other intangible world, now grounded and able to see the peace of knowing you are right where you should be. Said simply—when all the stars align, that’s what happens when what was meant to be is allowed to be.

There was no doubt that this space was meant to be become where the community would meet. Listening to that voice—call it divine, intuition, energy, or delusion—we set out not knowing the loss, pain, and near-destruction that waited just beyond leaving the comfort of simpler life behind in for a life of service.

2017

Ok dreams are great and feel good but how do we actually do this? We have some cash saved up from our wedding business but we don’t know what to buy and honestly business owners often don’t want to share how they started their business.

1st mistake: taking out a loan. Current business debt: $15,000

A friend of ours helped install the bar and build a few walls for our kitchen sink. It was rough, it did not look like a coffee shop it looked like we put an espresso machine on a bar and threw some chairs and a table from our house in an empty space. The lighting was sterile and very bright white. The smell of paint mixed with sawdust was in the air and our espresso machine was one of the cheaper ones you could buy an Astoria Gloria. We loved Gloria but we later found out she had a pretty big flaw that we didn’t catch. Nine months later we found out that it was not normal for Gloria to constantly run water and our water bill wasn’t supposed to be that high.

2nd mistake: Not knowing your equipment and how it works.

People supported us even though it was a terrible shop. No real design or cohesion. We found some display tables from a JCPenney that was going out of business and shoved them next to the Lowes unfinished counters and used them to sell coffee bags. We didn’t know how bad it looked. We didn’t know how to hire people, do a cost analysis or anything. I just copied the prices from another shop and thought it would have to work because we couldn’t charge more than them and if it was working for theirs, it would have to work with ours.

3rd mistake and perhaps the biggest of them all: Not knowing your numbers. Every penny must have a name and be accounted for. We would not fully implement this until year eight.

I don’t know how to explain how unprepared we were. I think Kim with The Looking Glass helped us as much as she could but she had a different type of shop one that Courtney liked but we both wanted something different. We bought the couch from her shop that was closing and a small little drop in deep freezer that was converted to a fridge to hold milk. This could hold maybe four gallons of milk at a time. Now we are moving thirty gallons of milk a day even back then having zero experience, I could see what the shop would become. I wasn’t bothered by showing how inexperienced we were or how little we could afford we were going to build Tennessee’s next favorite coffee shop and bakery and it didn’t matter what stage we were in I knew if we could just improve 1 % every day by year 10 we could get there. This was all a stepping stone and for all of the people who said we didn’t know what we were doing and laughed at us trying to compete, I agreed with them. It was funny and I didn’t know what I was doing but I was not discouraged I knew I could win them even if it took years I could build something that would give so much value that it would take more effort to not support than to be part of what we were building. A little delusional but that is what it takes to look past the odds and focus on giving everything you have every single day.

_

In March of 2017, we began building the first room for stage 1 of our kitchen. We tried to pay cash for as much as we could. We found some unfinished cabinets and butcher block from Lowe’s for under $3,000. We cut and planed all of the reclaimed wood from the 2nd floor of the coffeehouse and used that to create the siding of our coffee bar.

Courtney and I were surprised how quickly people filled the space even with it being unfinished. Our community was willing to grow with us and was very forgiving as we strugged to figure things out. We were first to open a coffee shop in how large our space was. I don’t think the shop would have worked if there was another downtown shop that was a few years ahead of us. Soon after things starting getting busy, we bought another section of unfinished cabinets and butcher block and tied it to our original bar and pulled more b-board out of the second story of our building to finish out the expansion of the bar. We followed this model of reinvesting everything that came from the shop back into the shop and have not stopped serving.

At the close of December, only being in business for 5 months, we knew we had something great and made bigger plans for the start of 2018.

Reflecting on all that 2017 had brought us and all the ways that we’d grown in our community, we were inspired to create something to celebrate this soybean-loving town. Good Morning Martin became our daily greeting as we shared the positive news and local business updates within our community. We highlighted shops within town and created a brand to show pride and love for where you live.

2018

In March of 2018, our little town of Martin was delighted to find a white car randomly parked in the middle of the (then) empty field across from Walmart. It soon became a major tourist spot and even the inspiration for a local folk song. Our response? Create a latte in the white car’s honor— it’s delicious by the way!

In August, we did our first teacher giveaway which offered one free drink to teachers and professors! It was a very fun giveaway for us because we got to see so many different teachers come in from all over.

In November, our lives changed forever as we welcomed Henry Anderson Sellers into the world. Nothing in our lives has ever compared. He was born on the first snow of the season in Martin, Tennessee with a surprisingly full head of red hair. Henry has grown up right there with us in the shop. He’s been completely spoiled by customers and friends since before he was born, and we could not be more grateful for everyone’s support and love.

In December, we hosted a Christmas Bazaar where different members of the community sold their homemade items to locals! It was a great success and SO much fun!

2019

In 2019, we were approached by a prominent couple in the town of Huntingdon, Tennessee to enter into a partnership with them and create a sister coffeehouse to Martin Coffeehouse called The 1822. With our manager at the time, Rachel Sellers, John, and I worked to replicate correcting all the little mistakes we had made the first time. Complete with ice cream and a full replicate of our menu, it was a small but special space, and the locals loved it! We oversaw the management of the shop for several months and sold our share after they got a feel for running it themselves.

In the middle of 1822 operations, we expanded our bakery side and created a sub brand called Lindell Street Bakery. Mostly known for our homemade cupcakes and addicting flavors, we had a great time making and packaging cupcakes for the city of Martin.

Additionally, Martin Coffeehouse took on a new look adding the iconic bear into the logo!
Here’s the story of the bear below:

Once upon a time in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, there lived an adventurous bear named Martin. Martin loved to climb trees, visit campers, and rummage through their cans for traces of his favorite treat: coffee. Martin had dreams of traveling to California to become a real Hollywood bear actor. One day he took off on a long journey out west and stopped only for a quick nap and some coffee. When he finally arrived in Hollywood, he auditioned for all the bear roles, but unfortunately, he just didn’t have the “it” factor they were looking for. Martin was devastated and took refuge in the Redwood Forest. There, he climbed to the top of the trees and looked out. He felt the breeze, he heard the birds, he smelled the coffee— coffee!?! From the tops of the Redwoods, there was the distinct aroma of coffee carried miles upon miles from its brewer to the tops of these trees. It was so strong and so delicious smelling. Martin knew exactly what he needed in this moment to recover from his Hollywood hit: a strong cup of coffee. Martin was determined to follow his nose. He followed it to the Rocky Mountains where he met up with a couple of grizzlies fighting over a beehive. Martin asked if they’d like to sit down for some coffee and talk about the bear times, but these two grizzlies were not much in terms of conversation, and Martin felt that he must keep moving to locate this smell. He continued past the Ozarks and caught a riverboat across the Mississippi. The alluring aroma of arabica was growing in strength and Martin found himself in West Tennessee, headed straight for a small college town. He located the origin of the coffee in a local shop on Lindell Street where he slurped down the best tasting cup of coffee on either side of the Mississippi. Martin was overjoyed with his coffee and found himself truly fulfilled! He was welcomed in the town by the friendly baristas and townspeople. In fact, Martin enjoyed himself so much he decided he might just kick up his paws and stay awhile. The baristas know his order by heart and have even made him a spokes bear for the company. Martin the bear has become a true star at this coffeehouse— they even named the place in his honor: Martin’s Coffee and Bakery.

2020

The year 2020 is a year our world will never forget, and that is certainly the case for our coffeehouse. As many challenges as it brought us, it showed us more than any other year that our community of Martin is strong, and they love our shop just as much as we do! This year may have tested our nerves, but it never tested our faith. We are forever grateful.

We began the year by rebranding from a split space holding both Martin Coffeehouse and Lindell Street Bakery into a shared space renamed Martin’s Coffee and Bakery. We added a whole new menu of toasted sandwiches to the shop that really sealed the deal with us being a favorite lunch spot for many locals!

After the allotted “Holiday season” ended, we were told to take down our iconic Edison bulb lighting from the exterior of our shop. With growing frustrations from our front road being closed due to construction of the new Martin Public Library, we felt it necessary to keep our lights up so that customers would know that we were open and that new travelers passing through might see lights and explore more of the businesses in our downtown area. This decision led to a number of letters threatening to fine us for our lights. Before we knew it a UT Martin student started a petition to keep our lights up. It got televised recognition, but in the end proved futile, as (you can see now in July of 2022) there are no lights on the front of our building; however we made some “Keep Martin Lit” stickers that still sell great even now.

In March of 2020, we had to close our doors from March 24th to May 14th due to Covid-19. It was a scary time for everyone, and our family was not immune to that fear. It’s hard to put into words just how devastating that day was to close our doors, but our faith is strong in the Lord and we know that He has blessed our shop for His good works. As soon as we were able and had a whole new team staffed and trained, we reopened. And our community has supported us Monday through Saturday ever since.

At the start of the year we were approached by a Tennessean non-profit that funds and paints murals on buildings. Walls for Women is a women-run non-profit dedicated to celebrating 100 years of women’s suffrage in Tennessee. Cities all over Tennessee such as Nolensville, Tullahoma, Manchester, Knoxville, and others have participated in this opportunity to both beautify and celebrate their historic downtowns. The whole thing would have been paid for by the Tennessee Arts Commission, meaning we could have added to the beauty and art of our downtown at no cost! Everything was set to go, but in June 2020 when the Historic Zoning Commission of the City of Martin got wind of what we were doing, not only did they shut it down, but they wrote a new law that stated all murals in the downtown area were banned. I tried to plead our case and the significance of public art but left the meeting defeated.

From the drama that arose from the mural ban compounded with the attention we received for our “historically unacceptable” Edison string lights, one board member referred to our loyal customer base as being in a cult. We laughed at the offensive comment and designed the beloved Coffee Cult design within 6 hours. Within 12 hours we were accepting online preorders. Our customers are loyal, but not because they’re in a cult, it’s because every day our team strives to give the best service we can. This shirt is still extremely popular and perfect for spooky October!

2020 is also the year we started the Artist Showcase program where different artists are able to display their work in our space for a month, have an opening event, and sell their work in our space. It is a wonderful way to celebrate art and gives community members a way to show their support to the arts as well!

2021

In 2021, we welcomed the sweet and super smart Claire Wisener as our new manager starting on the first of January. She blossomed with this new leadership and led our team into high sales days and so many fun staff nights. Claire never strayed from a challenge and became a huge asset to me as we navigated inflation as we’ve never seen before.

In 2021, we were still recovering from the effects of Covid-19 that year and the year before. In February 2021, as a way to supplement the income (and clear out the growing jungle in our apartment) we started selling houseplants inside the coffeehouse. Of course we had always decorated with plants and appreciated the aesthetic, but now we decided to take it more seriously, offer our plant knowledge to the community, and create the first independent house plant market in Martin. We called it Fiddle and Clay after the precocious fiddle leaf figs and the earthen vessels molded to hold them.

In our excitement of the jungle aesthetic, we wanted to lean into that feeling of being transported into another realm. Naturally, adding books for purchase was the next step. Much like plants, we had always had some personal books in the shop for customers to browse, but they were never available for purchase, and we wanted that to change. In April, we filled our shelves by the couch with stacks of used books for customers to peruse or purchase if interested. At the time, we had a sign that read Martin’s Used Books, which we now have revamped in all new shelving with the name Fox Booksellers.

In December, we started a project called Lindell’s Print Company which allowed us to purchase blank t-shirts and sweatshirts from a larger range of wholesalers so that we can finally keep our shirts stocked instead of constantly selling out! A good problem to have, but even better to have this solution!

2022

2022 has been an exciting year! One of the biggest changes of our lives came when we made the decision to sell our viral wedding company, Fox Weddings. This is a business that allowed us to travel internationally and all across the U.S. For many years, our calendars came second to the responsibilities of Fox Weddings, and although it was a business John started nearly 12 years ago, it was a good decision to sell and we are better for it.

We added a second location for Fiddle and Clay down the street into one side of our rental property and named it Fiddle and Clay’s Secret Garden Warehouse. It is a warehouse that holds all the plants that do not fit or are too big for the corner market inside Martin’s Coffee and Bakery. We also moved Fernweh Fox into that space so that we can finally spread out with our studio.

The Coffeehouse bathroom underwent a much needed renovation. That space was so much fun to design and we are truly proud to say , “Yes, we have a bathroom available. Last door on the left.” Another space that got a whole new look is Fox Booksellers, originally called Martin’s Used Books, our used bookstore took on a whole new look and even got accepted into the American Booksellers Association.

A few other changes include our new menu of rotating cookies straight from our bakery! From Nana’s Recipe to the Sea Salt Triple Chocolate, there is a flavor for everyone and they pair perfectly with a latte! Or a cold brew— which we also re-vamped this 5th year of business! Instead of using the Japanese Flash Cold Brew method, we adapted into the more preferred 24 hour cold water steep, creating a cold brew concentrate. This concentrate is now used for our in store cold brew, but we have also bottled them into growlers that you can take home and bring back for refills.

In October we invested $25,000 into Lindell’s Print Company to buy a 6-needle embroidery machine. We shortened the front of the shop where Fiddle and Clay was set up so we could move Fernweh Fox and Lindell’s Print Company into the back part of the space. Now 228 south Lindell holds 3 of our businesses. This was a big move for us and has allowed us to focus on media and making our own products.

We did our first mocktail event called Mocktails and Merriment. Our event was on the 23rd right when Martin was seeing record low temps. From 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm in single-digit temperatures, we had over 50 people come out to Mocktails and Merriment. We had no idea if this idea would work or not but we went for it and it paid off. After the event’s success, we quickly laid the plans for the next mocktail event in February of 2023 this time adding charcuterie boards.

We also develop our first flight. Right before the end of the year we worked on our southern menu coffee flight and our hot chocolate flight. It look a long time to get the right boards, tags, cups recipes but finally figured it out. Starting soon into 2023 we will be officially adding them to the shop.

•Fiddle and Clay Secret garden

2023

On March 3rd we welcomed our little Jack into the family! He weighed 6lb and 14oz and has been holding his head up and growing our hearts since day one. Jack is the missing piece to our family of four, and we don’t know how we ever got along without him!

•Vulcan on May 9th!

July 25th we decided to put 228 South Lindell up for sale. As much as we have loved this property, we have bigger plans ahead!

Here is a Social Media Post from July 28th: “Things are heating up at the shop! If you heard rumors that we are building out a brunch menu then you heard right. So over the next month or so you will see lot of different items added to the menu. Some items will only be on the menu for a day others will be added permanently. Over the past 6 years we have developed the shop based on the communities feedback. We do not have a ‘grand opening’ date for the new menu but this is the first step in developing the shop into an everyday brunch business.”

That’s right! Big plans involving brunch at Martin’s Coffee and Bakery….but where will everyone sit?
Read for more!

August 2023

August 1st was the biggest day in our company's history. August 1st is the day that we signed papers and put money down to own the two buildings next to our coffee shop.
3 years ago in 2020, we approached both State Farm to our right and Unger and Godwin on our right to see if there was a chance that we could trade our second building (right down the road) and pay for their relocating. We knew it was a long shot and probably would not work. Buildings downtown do not come available often and if they do, they are mostly sold without anyone knowing that they were even for sale until the sale is final.
We will forever be thankful to Mr. Lane and Ms. Carol for giving us a shot at owning these buildings. The value of these buildings is priceless to us. having the ability to create an entranceway throughout all 3 buildings gives us the ability to expand our books, plants, and bakery. Now with this added space, we will be able to add a full breakfast and brunch menu.
When Mr. Lane asked if we still wanted to own the buildings, we were speechless. We had just bought a house, had a baby, and were working to expand our menu. This couldn’t be the right time… but God’s timing is so so good. We know He has a plan for our business, and our job is to get out of the way and honor it as best as we can!
This year Martin’s Coffee and Bakery turned 6 years old. What a year!

We replaced our roof! Not a light or quick undertaking. $27,000 is what it cost to replace our roof.

November 2023

We upgraded our hot cups to doubled walled branded blue cups that no longer need a sleeve.

December 2023

We became Martin, Tennessee's first roaster!

If I could go back and do it again I would have started with roasting our own coffee. It could not have happened, I did not have $80,000, I had $15,000, but I would have spent more time trying to figure out how to start with roasting our own coffee. Our focus has always been the space itself and making a true 3rd space between work and home where our community can find a little rest, meet with friends and be inspired. However having the ability to control the quality of your product from the source has now become a major part of what defines our shop. We started in the only way we could with lower end equipment and using a different coffee roaster. Through service we built loyalty, the quality was ok but now we could afford to invest roughly $80,000 into quality. December 2023 was a big leap of faith in our community, trusting that they would appreciate the higher standard and connect with us trying to give more.

It was not an easy decision, just because something is new doesn’t mean it is better and we worried that the coffee we have been serving for 6 years, the coffee that we have built a business that could afford to invest $80,000 in, was not going to be received well. This was all new to us. We have built experience in running a business now but roasting is a different business. The biggest shock, and I guess it should not have been, was having to keep 8,000 to 20,000 worth of green coffee in stock.

Most coffee businesses are not cash heavy even though they are cash businesses. The best accounting practices are separating all of the money at the end of the day. 10% comes out for tax, 30% for payroll and so on. The truth is even after being in business for 6 years now we were not doing this as well as we should have been. Not separating a high enough percentage of daily sales to replace green coffee was a problem.

Growing with the roaster business and figuring out logistics, storage, roasting profiles, shipping, labeling, maintenance of the machine, dealing with a whole set of new problems was a challenge and I would soon find out after expanding the roasting operation over the next few years it would become the most challenging part of our business at times.

The “WHY” behind investing again into the coffee shop and bakery now to become a coffee roaster is the same for every decision we have made in serving Martin, Tennessee. We knew we could give a better service by roasting coffee in Martin, Tennessee. Any time you can keep it local or even better make it local is a better choice. This has served as a type of north star when making decisions that impact the future of what we are building in Martin.

In a practical way roasting would give us the ability to make a better product, we could stay competitive on price and we could bring our dedication to service to more people beyond the walls of our shop through a roasting program. Most of all we could make this local. For those reasons we became Martin, Tennessee’s first coffee roaster.

Now creating a truly Martin Made product felt and still feels very good. It is like a little factory taking all of the support from the town and putting it into crafting a product that can be enjoyed every day.

Another step forward in becoming Tennessee’s next favorite coffee shop and bakery.

Where the city wakes up.

2024

January 2024

We are roasting and restocking the shop today with fresh roasted coffee! We have gotten a little behind with keeping the store stocked because of the online orders. We have a system figured out now that will keep us stocked!
I am also really excited to update you guys that we have over 1000 pounds of green coffee coming in soon. We have added organic single-origin Kenya and an unwashed Ethiopian Sidama! This will put us at 8 single origins! The next step is creating blends which will start soon!
Our crew has been doing an amazing job running the shop as Courtney and I focus on the roasting program next door.
We are overwhelmed by all of the support. Things are moving very fast now and it would be impossible for us to expand like we are without our crew and the constant support of our community!
Thank you for making us your local coffee roaster!

May 2024

June 2024

What a great teeball season in Martin, Tennessee! So proud of these Diamondbacks and their coaches for placing 3rd. Henry learned so much this season and had a blast the whole time! Hopefully we'll get to sponsor again next year! Thank you, City of Martin for a great program !

July 2024

•New lunch menu (bowls. July 15th)

August 2024

September 2024

October 2024

Martin Parks & Recreation Youth Soccer 2024
Proud to sponsor and coach this years team!

We love our teachers! We are truly blessed to have such a good school system in Martin, Tennessee. It was not easy watching Henry walk into his first day of school but knowing how caring and supportive our community is of our teachers makes a little easier.

November 2024

•Henry Turned 6

•Lights on all 3 buildings downtown

December 2024

•Set up offices, a studio, and our embroidery business (Lindell’s Print Company) inside of 409.

•Started a wholesale coffee roasting program (developed blends)

•Started a coffee podcast (Barista Therapy)

•Jack turned 1

•Started Saturday Sidewalk Sales

•Started selling our fresh roasted coffee online

•Upgraded Fiddle and Clays display

•Gilmore Girls Trivia night

•Water line

2025

Overview:

2025 was the most challenged year in Martin, Tennessee. Infused is the key word for this year. We focused on expanding our foundation to push to serve four hundred customers a day.

October

Opening up 3 windows in the back of the window and replace the 3 at the front. New colors on the building. Changing the blue and moving from gray to black for the trim.

October 4th

I never could have planned this or been able to form a partnership like this, but God has moved, and I can’t believe how this is coming together. I don’t want to share too much, but we have partnered with the same guy we worked with to set up the coffee and bookstore in McKenzie (David Jacobs, great guy). We don’t own that shop, but we roast for them and helped get everything going. He is now installing a thrift shop like a Plato’s Closet but much more in 411, the second building attached to the coffee shop.

Right next to the thrift shop is 409, which is becoming a space with lots of comfortable seating and a stage in the center. We will run this like a venue after hours and open it up for rentals during the day, with battle of the bands, bluegrass nights, Christmas markets, and more. Most of all, we’re excited to use this space to host events for the community.

We are figuring out the size and placement of the opening between our coffee shop and bakery and the flow of seating. It’s taken a long time to get here, but now that we are here, it’s looking like December will be the opening of both the thrift shop (yet to be named) and the music venue.

November

•Mayor and economic developer arrested for fraud and theft (November 11. What an illuminating day. Conflicted about what this means for our town, proud that corruption was exposed, vindicated for strongly voicing concerns and facing the drama and pushback that came with it.

•409 Construction problems. The ceiling, the walls, the floors, tight budget growing past it. Changing the lighting plan five times, repairing old damage, uncovering damage and having to adapt the plan. Making decisions that cost a lot more but uncover more of the history of the building. A dream realized with building the stage.

•Moving back to sqaure (saving $800 a month after we found out toast was over charging us)